Food habits of the rough ray Raja radula (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) from the Gulf of Gabès (central Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract

The food habits of rough ray Raja radula were investigated, with respect to sex, size and season, based on stomach content analyses of specimens collected from commercial fisheries, monthly during 2007 in the Gulf of Gabès (Central Mediterranean Sea). Of 950 stomachs examined, 183 were empty (19.26%). The overall diet of R. radula mainly consisted of crustacean decapods, teleosts and molluscs. Polycheates, sipunculids and echinoderms were minor dietary components. No differences were observed in the major preys consumed between the sexes, but ontogenetic and seasonal changes were found. The dietary trend with size shifted from crustaceans to teleosts. The consumptions of minor preys were independent from both size and season. Quantitative analysis and graphical methods indicated the rough ray to be a specialized feeder. © 2013 Copyright 2012 Unione Zoologica Italiana.